The OP's article makes a lot of good points.
I think that an unmentioned but important problem in the US isn't just what's taught, but HOW stuff is taught. Our system doesn't do a good job of teaching for understanding. Our math books present algorithms to be memorized, our science tests ask questions that require regurgitation of information, and much of our K-6 reading lessons focus on short-ish passages followed by multiple choice questions. Contrast with places like Ireland and Switzerland, which spend a lot of time on helping kids understand ideas, and which have a minimal emphasis on multiple choice questions.
"Teaching to the test" in a place like Ireland means, "the exam will have questions about these four novels, so we're going to read them, talk about them, and write about them."
